Construction of oil-cups.



` PATENTED FEB. 13, 1906.

J. POWELL.

CONSTRUCTION OP OIL OOPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31. 1905.

`known as gravity-feed cups.

STATES PATENT OFFICE..

JAMES POWELL, ,OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE WM. POWELL CO., OFCINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CONSTRUCTION OF OIL-CUPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1906.

Application filed May 31, 1905. Serial No. 263,008.

kreference characters marked thereon, which form also a part of thisspecification.

This invention concerns lubricators or oilcups used for supplyinglubricant to moving and operating parts of machinery, and relates moreparticularly to devices of the type They are usually provided with asight-feed chamber, which permits observation of the feed action, andthey have a valve whereby the iow of the oil may be regulated as to thequantity passing and also entirely cut off. A stem is provided f or tliemanipulation of the valve, the operation for the purpose being a rotaryone.

The invention consists of certain features of construction, ashereinafter explained, the object of one of which is to control themanipulation of the valve-stem when used for opening or for closing thevalve in a manner that a certain set adjustment of the valve to feed ata fixed rate is always positively maintained against disturbance of anykind or by these manipulations themselves for opening or closing, andwhereby whenever the valve is reopened after closing it also opensalways to the previously set adjustment.

Another feature embodied in my improvements causes the oil-cup to becomealso adapted for use in connection with explosiveinotors-as, forinstance, gasengines-to supply oil to the cylinder thereof.

In the following specification, and particularly pointed out in theclaims, is found a full description of this invention, together with itsoperation, parts, and construction, which latter is also illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 in a vertical sectionshows an oilcup provided with the features contemplated by my invention.Fig. 2 in a similar view illustrates certain modifications. Fig. 3 showsthe lower part of the preceding figure, the section being taken in aplane at right angles thereto. Fig. 4 is ahorizontal section on line 4 4of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6is a top View of the oil-cup. Fig. 7 shows the engaging oppositesurfaces of the complementary locking members for holding thevalve-stein in its 'adjusted position.

In the drawings, 10 indicates a cylindrical shell usually of glass andclosed at opposite ends by a bottom 11 and a top 12, the three formingan inclosure which constitutes the oil-reservoir. They are held togetherby a tie-post 13, which has a iiange or nut 14 formed around the outsideof its upper end and is threaded at its lower end for insertion into andconnection to a threaded socket 15, formed on the inner side of bottom11. This tie-post is inserted through an opening in top 12 and engagesthis socket in the bottom, the two being held together with shell 10between them, and thus form the inclosure mentioned. The oil is suppliedthrough a fill-opening 16, a swinging cover or scutcheon 17 beingprovided for its closurewhich is mounted on the projecting upper end ofthe tie-post and below nut 14 thereon, by which it is held down. Theoutlet-opening 18 from the reservoir is formed in bottom 11 andcontained in socket 15 thereon, a drip-nose 19 being formed below toconcentrate the flow of the oil and cause it to discharge in drops. Theoil reaches this outlet-opeiiiiig through one or more ports 21 in thewall of socket 15 or in post 13. Its discharge is controlled by a valve22 at the lower end of a stem 23,which latter is contained in tie-post13, the same being hollow for such purpose. The upper end of this stemprojects beyond the upper open end of post 13 to be accessible thereatfor manipulation of the valve. A handle 24 is provided for such purpose,the manipulation being by rotation, the stem being for such purposeseated within hollow post 13 by means of a screw-thread. Rotation in onedirection lowers valve 22 to close the outlet and in opposite directionit opens the same. The quantity of oil passing out is of coursedependent on the extent of this opening or lift of the valve and isarranged and adjusted to suit particular requirements existing at thetime, tlie valve by means of handle 24 being manipulated accordingly.

It is preferable to provide means to hold the position of the valveafteronce regulated The procedure for manipulation is now asl to a certainadjustment against accidental disturbance, such means to serve also forthe purpose of finding quickly the intended previously-adjusted positionwhenever the valve is reopened after temporary closure. Various meanshave been used for such purpose. I provide a locking-arm 25, mounted ona boss constituted by the upper projecting end of post 13, but above nut14 thereon, which forms -a shoulder for it on which it rests. The outerend of this arm is notched, as shown at 26, and its length, togetherwith the length of handle 24, are so arranged that this handle (it beingpivotally attached to the upper end of stem 23) may when dropped engagethe notched end of this locking-arm.

follows: For opening the valve its handle is rotated to the left, ithaving first been raised up from the locking-arm, as shown in Fig. 1, todisengage it therefrom. When the proper adjustment is found, as the flowofthe oil from drip-nose 19 will show, the handle is left in theparticular position in which it has arrived and locking-arm 25 isbrought up to it, after which the handle is dropped to engage the notchin said arm, whereby it is held thereafter. This presumes and re uires,of course, that this locking-arm is also eld immovable thereafter. Suchmay be done by a clamping-nut 27, mounted on the threaded upper end ofpost 13, said nut having been loosened before the parts were turned foradjustment and is now retightened. To make this engagement morepositive, the engaging opposite surfaces, they being the under side ofthe hub of the locking-arm and the upper side of nut 14, on which itrests, may be serrated, as shown at 20. (See Figs. 2 and 7.) Theengagement may also be a mere frictional one--that is to say, one whichpermits movement of arm 25 without loosening nut 27, the arm being heldagainst ordinary and accidental disturbance by the pressure of aninterposed springwasher 28, which is the form shown in the drawings. Theintensity of the frictional pressure of this engagement may be regulatedby nut 27 and made positive at any time by merely tightening this nut.If it is now desirable to close the valve for the purpose of shuttingoff the oil-supply, it is merely necessary to lift handle 24 out of thenotch in the locking-arm, leaving the same undisturbed in its position,and to rotate the valve-stem accordingly. When reopening thereafter, itis then not necessary to experiment again for the purpose of adliustingthe valve to permit discharge of oil at the desired rate, as previouslyfound, and the handle after the valve is opened is simply dropped againinto the notch of the lockingarm, which at once fiXes the properposition.

In order to observe the action of the device for purposes of obtainingthis adjustment primarily as well as at any time thereafter,

the usual sight-feed chamber is provided below the drip-nose, itconsisting, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, of a cylindrical glass shell 29,held against the under side of bottom 11 of the oil-reservoir by meansinvolving a screw connection. follows: Bottom 30 of the sight-feedchamber in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 4 is held to bottom 11 by meansof two posts 31. The edge of this bottom is threaded to receive a nut32, which latter holds shell 29 against bottom- 11 above. As shown inFigs. 2, 3, and 5, the wall of the sight-feed chamber consists partly ofglass and partly of metal, opposite metal parts 33 being extendeddownwardly from the under side of bottom 11 of the oil-reservoir andprovided between them with glass windows 34, the glass being held inplace by screw-rings 35. Below these windows and between these metalparts there is again the bottom 30 of this sight-feed chamber, the sameas shown in Fig. 1. The final outlet 36 is in this bottom 30 in eachcase, and below it there is the attachingnipple 37, whereby the oil-cupis connected in position.

To insure a free flow of oil, it is of course necessary to vent theoil-reservoir, which is usually done by providing a vent-opening in top12. When such oil-cups are to be used in connection with devices causingback pressure on the oiler-as, for instance, ineXplosive-engines-venting in this manner is not feasible, since avent-opening in the oil-cup would also permit escape of pressure andgases, causing odor andalso forcing the oil out. Hence whenever thisoiler is to be used in such connection the reservoir is closed entirelyand the pressure medium or gases from the engine-cylinder are used tovent the cup, they being admitted through vent-ducts 38, starting withinthe attaching-nipple and terminating in the upper part of theoil-reservoir, so as to open above the oil. These ducts pass in eachcase through bottoms 30 and 11, and vtheir upper part consists of tubes39, set in bottom 11. Between these two bottoms the` ducts pass throughthe sight-feed chamber, they passing through posts 31 in theconstruction shown in Figs. 1 and 4 and through the metal parts 33,which form part of the sight-feed chamber as the construction of thesame is shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5. To prevent in explosive-enginesreaction from the gases exploded within the cylinder, a check-valve 41is provided in the final discharge-outlet 36 and so located as not tointerfere with the action of the vent-ducts, the lower ends of whichopen into the attaching-nipple laterally of the final outlet, so as Indetail this construction is as l IOO IOC

IIO

to be independent ofthe check-valve therein.

In view of this arrangement, whereby the final outlet-opening and thelower ends of the vent-ducts come together in the attaching-nipple, ithas become necessary to make this latter larger diametrically than wouldotherwise be necessary. This size is brought down again by areducing-nipple 42, held in place by a coupling-nut 43.

I-Iaving described my invention, I claim as new- 1. In an oil-cup, thecombination of an oilreservoir, consisting of a top, a bottom providedwith an outlet-opening and an intervenient shell, a tie-post seated inthe bottom and projecting above the top, a nut provided thereat to holdthe parts of the cup together, a valve controlling the outlet, a rotarystem for actuating this valve, a pivotally-attached handle to manipulatethis stem, a notched locking-arm adjustably mounted on the projectingend of the tie-post and above the nut thereon and adapted to engage thehandle to hold the valve-stem against rotation and a clamping-nut alsofitted on the projecting end of the tie-post above the locking-arm tohold the same in its adjusted position.

2. In an oil-cup, the combination of an oilreservoir consisting of atop, a bottom provided with an outlet-opening and an intervenient shell,a tie-post seated in the bottom and projecting abve the top with a nutproe vided thereat to hold the parts of the cup together, a valvecontrolling the outlet, a rotary stem for actuating the same, apivotally-attached handle to manipulate this stem, a notched locking-armadjustably mounted on the projecting end of the tie-post and above thenut thereat mentioned and adapted to engage the handle to hold the valvestem against rotation, a spring-washer and a clamping-nut both mountedabove the projecting part of the tie-post to hold the locking-arm in itsadjusted position with a yieldmg pressure. 3. In an oil-cup, thecombination of an oilreservoir provided with an outlet-opening, a valvecontrolling this outlet, a rotary stein for actuating this valve, ahandle pivotally attached to the upper end of this stem to manipulatethe same, a locking-arm pivotally mounted and provided with serrationsaround its hub and with a notch in its free end adapted to engage thevalve-handle to hold the valvestem against rotation, a boss which formsthe pivot for this locking-arm and has a projecting shoulder alsoserrated upon which the serrated part of the lockingarm rests, aspring-washer adapted to act against this serrated part of thelocking-arm` and means to hold the spring-washer in place.

4. In an oil-cup, the combination of an oilreservoir and a sight-feedchamber below the same, the bottom of the former constituting also thetop of the latter and dividing the two, there being a valve-controlledpassage in this dividing-bottom whereby the oil-reservoir communicateswith the sight-feed chamber, and a final outlet provided in the bottomof this latter and vent-ducts provided within the general structurewhich are open to this final outlet below the sight-feed chamber landcommunicating directly and independently with the interior of theoil-reservoir.

5. In an oil-cup, the combination of an oilreservoir provided with avalve-controlled outlet, a sight-feed chamber below this outlet having aiinal ,outlet in its bottom, a check-valve controlling this 'Finaloutlet and Vent-ducts provided within the general structure whichcommunicate with this final outlet independent of the check-valvetherein and open to the interior of the oil-reservoir.

6. In an oil-cup,'the combination of an oilreservoir provided with avalve-controlled outlet in its bottom, a sight-feed chamber below thisbottom having a final outlet in its bottom, connecting means to hold itsbottom to the bottom of the oil-reservoir, continuous perforations beingprovided in the two bottoms and in the means connecting them which formvent-ducts and the open ends of which communicate with the iinal outletand with the oil-reservoir and tubes mounted within this latter and onthe upper ends of these perforations.

7. In an oil-cup, the combination of an oil- V reservoir provided with avalve-controlled outlet in its bottom, a sightefeed chamber below thisbottom consisting of a shell and a bottom which has a final outlet andconnecting means within and surrounded by this shell to hold the bottomof the sight-feed chamber to the under side of the bottom of thisoil-reservoir with the shell mentioned clamped between the two bottoms.

8. In an oil-cup, the combination of an oilreservoir provided `with avalve-controlled IOO outlet in its bottom, a sight-feed chamber belowthis bottom consisting of a shell and a bottom which has a iinal outlet,posts within this shell to hold the bottom ofthe sight-feed chamber tothe under side of the bottom of the oil-reservoir with the shellmentioned held between the two bottoms, continuous perforations beingprovided in these two latter and in the posts connecting them which formvent-ducts and the open ends of which communicate with the iinal outletand with the oil-reservoir and tubes mounted within this latter and onthe upper end of these perforations` 9. In an oil-cup, the combinationoi an oilreservoir and a sight-feed chamber below it, both incommunication by a valve-controlled passage between the two, anattaching-nipple below the sight-feed chamber, there being a passagewhereby this latter communicates with the attaching-nipple, areducingnipple below this latter and a coupling-nut to connect the twonipples.

10. In an oil-cup, the combination of an oil-reservoir and a sight-feedchamber below it, both in communication by a Valve-controlled passagebetween the two, an attach- IIO ing-nipple below the sight-feed chamber,there being a passage whereby this latter communicates with theattaching-nipple, a check-valve controlling this passage in onedirection and vent-ducts provided within the general structure wherebythe attaching-nipple communicates with the interior of the oil-cupindependent of the check-valve.

ll. In an oil-cup, the combination of an oil-reservoir and a sight-feedchamber below it, both in communication by a valve-controlled passagebetween the two, an attaching-nipple below the sight-feed chamber, therebeing a passage provided within the general structure whereby theattaching-nipple communicates with the sight-feed chamber andindependent vent-ducts whereby this latter communicates with theinterior of the oil-cup.

12. In an oil-cup, thecombination of an oil-reservoir and a sight-feedchamber below it, both in communication by a valve-controlled passagebetween the two, an attaching-nipple below the sight-feed chamber, therebeing passages provided within the general structure whereby thisattachingnipple communicates with the sight-feed chamber andindependently with the interior of the oil-cup, a reducing-nipple belowthis attaching-nipple and means to connect the two nipples.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afl-ix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

JAMES POWELL.

Witnesses C. SPENGEL, C. MEYER.

